“One is a criminal act, the other is a terrorist act”: FG differentiates between herdsmen and IPOB

Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, was on Channels Television on Thursday to explain why the federal government has been quick to designate the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group, but has not done same for the Fulani herdsmen.

The tactics of some herdsmen have been far more violent than anything IPOB has ever mustered. In fact, the Global Terrorism Index ranks the Fulani militant herdsmen among the five deadliest terror groups in the world.

So why hasn’t the FG moved against them?

According to Shehu: “There is a difference between a criminal activity and a terrorist activity. Yes, some Fulani herdsmen are a criminal gang and they are being dealt with according to the law. But IPOB, like Boko Haram, has a territory they have carved out to themselves… as a sovereign state of its own… They have shown the willingness to invade other neighbouring states. They have raised concerns in neighbouring Kogi and Benue states. They have said they are interested in taking over Bayelsa and Rivers. That is exactly what Boko Haram has done. This is not acceptable to the law of the country.”

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The Defence Headquarters last week named IPOB a terror organisation, even though it attempted to backtrack a bit when several Nigerians pointed out their failure to follow due process.